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The Apple Blog
The Apple Blog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
http://theappleblog.com
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QiK Brings Video to iPhone (Legitimately)
It finally looks like video-recording is arriving on the iPhone, courtesy of QiK’s new app. The omission of a video-record feature for the iPhone has long been a major source of derision. The device is fully capable of supporting video, it simply comes down to either an oversight or ill-considered design decision regarding features on Apple’s part (and considering the Cupertino campus’s eye for detail, the latter is much more likely).

Qik, featured over at sister-site NewTeeVee.com back in June, is one of several video apps that owners of jailbroken iPhone’s have had access to for some time now. The interesting thing about QiK is that it streams live to the web — it means whatever you’re doing, where ever you may be, you can now broadcast live to the masses direct from your iPhone.

Fountain of Apple rumors, Kevin Rose, claims that QiK is very close to arriving at the App Store. “This is not a hacked or jailbroken version, this is the real deal. It’s not out in the App Store yet, but I hear it’s coming very soon.” Bringing serious substance to his rumor mongering, Rose actually broadcast the news live using the official QiK app itself.
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BoinxTV: Broadcasting for the rest of us
Making simple videocasts can take time and some work utilizing a few different tools. Until now.

A little while ago, I elected to participate in a new product offering from Boinx Software, called BoinxTV. In all honesty, I had forgotten about the product until I recently received an email telling me where to download a current build and give it a try. This application is pretty comprehensive, and more importantly, it makes the process of creating and editing videocasts fun.

Getting Started

Upon initial launch of the application, you are presented with the following screen:

What is really nice is that Boinx has provided some pre-canned templates to easily generate the type of broadcast you would like to make. Each of the templates are fun and easily modified. Another bonus, as shown with this screenshot is that you can select the resolution for the broadcast, including HD (albeit it is a compressed version at 960×540).
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Commanding

Do you consider yourself a geek? Now how about a hardcore geek? And since you’re reading The Apple Blog, clearly you’re a Hardcore Mac Geek (assuming you answered yes to the preceding questions). Check, check, and check. Great! So this post is aimed squarely at you! (Apologies for the pre-interview. The contents beyond this point are what you might call, “niche”.)

Graphic artist, Christopher David Ryan made these great prints, utilizing the ‘Apple’, or ‘Command’ key references made popular in OS X. You can purchase the set of three (as 5×7 inch prints) for $12 if you’re so inclined. Personally, I’d hold out for poster size rather than the smallish 5×7 prints, but that’s just me. Either way, I like the idea, and it’s a great composition in my book.

Side note: If you didn’t immediately recognize what the prints were meant to read as, please hand in your ‘Hardcore Mac Geek’ card before leaving.

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Official Geocaching App for iPhone Available

Treasure-hunters of the world can sleep soundly now that the official Geocaching application from Groundspeak has finally been released.

Groundspeak are the people behind the largest cache database on the web, Geocaching.com. If the term is new to you, geocaching is a treasure-hunting game in which participants use GPS to hide and seek treasure troves in different outdoor locations around the world. Generally the caches themselves contain nothing of any significant value, the game being more about the act searching than the “treasure” itself.

Other third-party apps with similar functionality have been available, but Geocaching is the first to link directly to geocaching.com for real-time updates of cache information. Other features include proximity-based cache location searching, easy navigation using a simulated compass arrow, on-the-go item detail and goals lookup, and difficulty ratings for easy outing planning.

While the app also provides access to “Logs”, or notes left by previous finders, it does not currently allow users to log from the application itself. Future updates promise logging, however, and the ability to filter your own previous cache hides and finds from your search results.

If you’ve ever used your iPhone 3G to find say, the location of a house party, you know what to expect out of the phone’s GPS functionality. Yes, it is helpful when you’re not sure where you’re going, but no, it’s not a replacement for a top-of-the line handheld GPS device designed for hiking. Location updates are slow, and it’s not always easy to get an accurate fix depending on tree cover and other environmental factors. Better to use it to locate and store cache coordinates and to check logged tips, photos, and descriptions to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Geocaching 1.0 is available now in the App Store for $9.99.

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Weekly App Store Roundup: Oct. 18, 2008
Amidst the hubbub of this week’s Apple announcements, the App Store continued to bubble away with a host of new apps joining the fray. As ever, The Apple Blog is here to separate the signal from the noise and sound off on a selection of the freshest apps to hit the store.

This time we’re casting a big thoughtful eye over Jobs, TeeDroid 3G and PuzzleManiak.

Jobs 1.0 ($4.99) - There’s been a panoply of freelancer time-tracking tools arriving at the App Store of late, many of which seem a tad on the rushed side. Jobs 1.0, though, looks to have a well-considered feature-set and a clear, concise interface.

The problem is that there are already several sites (with integrated iPhone web apps) that do the job much better and are rich in exactly the kind of features freelancers need. To name but two, Tempo and Harvest are incredibly accomplished time-trackers and in the case of the latter, handles expenses, invoices and even an OS X widget. Despite the solid feature-set, including CSV export of time-sheets, Jobs 1.0 may not be a prudent investment for the savvy freelancer looking to track time more efficiently.
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Sussing Out the New Apple Notebook Value Sweet Spot

In January, 2001, I was initially blown away by the just-introduced Titanium PowerBook G4, titling my initial commentary on Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote’s “one more thing….” - “Simply The Coolest Piece Of Hardware Apple Has Ever Built.” Then, after some sober second thought I ordered a leftover PowerBook G3 Pismo.

Two years later, Mr. Jobs unveiled the 17″ aluminum PowerBook (whose form factor essentially lives on nearly six years later in the 17″ MacBook Pro) and the jewel-like 12″ PowerBook; then later that year at Macworld Expo Paris Jobs followed suit with the 15″ aluminum PowerBook. I looked on admiringly, commenting: “Apple’s fantastic G4 PowerBook laptops have essentially eliminated any rationale other than lower cost for owning a desktop computer for most of Mac-users,” then went out and ordered a G3 dual-USB iBook.

At Macworld Expo 2006’s, Steve rolled out the first-ever Intel-based Mac laptop - the 15″ MacBook Pro. That time my enthusiasm was less effusive. I grumbled a bit about the form factor being nearly identical to the outgoing 15″ PowerBook, but did observe that: “Fortunately, when you peer beneath the MacBook Pro’s familiar-looking aluminum skin, things get more exciting.” However, not exciting enough for me. A month later I bought the Apple Certified Refurbished 17″ PowerBook G4 than is still my production workhorse.

There definitely seems to be a pattern established here.
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